In these latter days, in a mobile network, Ethernet or an IP (Internet Protocol) network have been widely used as a core network for a base station. In order to connect with the IP network, the base station needs to obtain an IP address available for the base station. Acquiring an available IP address may be accomplished, for example, by obtaining the available IP address from a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server or by directly inputting the available IP address into the base station from a maintenance terminal.
Further, in the case of establishing a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) on the Ethernet, a VLAN-ID needs to be set to each of base stations. Setting of a VLAN-ID to each of the base stations, for example, may be performed manually by a user of the VLAN.
In recent years, it has been required by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) or common carriers, to automatically startup a base station, for example, using a plug-in method as one of SON (Self Organizing Network) functions. The SON allows a base station to automatically connect with a network at the time of installing the base station by automatically obtaining available IP addresses using a DHCP even if the available IP addresses are not stored beforehand in the base station.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2006-345088 discloses, as a related art, a method in which any or unique VLAN-ID is dynamically assigned to a user terminal that is connected with a network, and data communication is performed using the assigned VLAN-ID.
However, according to the above mentioned related art, there is a problem such that it is difficult for a base station to acquire information identifying one of VLANs that is to be used for providing each of services. For example, when a different VLAN is set for each of different services such as a C-Plane and a U-plane, the base station is unable to automatically acquire information identifying one of VLANs that is to be used for providing each of the C-Plane and the U-plane, thereby failing to connect with a VLAN that is to be used for providing each of the C-Plane or the U-plane.
Consequently, for example, since the base station is unable to connect with a DHCP server that is coupled to the base station via a VLAN, the base station fails to obtain available IP addresses from the DHCP server, and also fails to start data transmission based on IP. In this way, according to the above mentioned related art, it may be difficult to implement an automatic startup of a base station using a plug-in method.